Speed of play

[unmerged(29218)]

When reading this forum I have come to the conclusion that I play EU2 really slowly compared to a lot of you. Not as in half speed, more like several orders of magnitude slower than many of you. Finishing a game takes months, while you seem to make it in, what, three days?

Granted, I don't devote all my spare time to playing. Most often, it's a few hours per week, maybe between two and eight hours depending on the rest of my life.
Additional factors that may slow down my playing:

• I play on Fast, or Above Normal if at war.
• I tend to pause for micromanagement. Well, come to think of it, almost any management.

Off the top of my head, the second list entry seems a likely culprit. On the other hand, I like a stress free game.

If I should put together a question, I guess it would be:
Which factors do you guys consider most important in my slow playing? Devoted time, Games speed, Pausing or something else?

 

[unmerged(5361)]

I play the same way as you, but I don't spend several months on a game..

Fastest game speed when at peace, normal or above normal when in war. Pause when changing DPs, building etc..

Its a loooong game though...

 

[Owen]

Very few people finish a game in three days.

When I completed my Atjeh WC, the game took something like three months, playing several weekday evenings and weekend days each week.

 

[ale]

I normally play on Extremly Fast when at peace and Above Normal - Fast when at war. Of course, I pause a grand lot.

Mind you though, I haven't finished a single campaign in any Paradox game. Ever.

 

[iBaLkiD]

Some of us can play at work. Some of us had to buy the mac version of EUII HOI and Vicky just so he can play on the Macs at work. Some of us are glad that they have a door to their office that they can close when they want others to think that they are REAL busy, or thinking really hard.

 

[unmerged(19042)]

I also play extremely fast, pausing every so often, give a bunch of orders, then let it run. It usually takes me a month to play 200 years or so, the 3 day campaign must be playing 24hrs a day!

 

[Van Engel]

I normally play on Extremly Fast when at peace and Above Normal - Fast when at war. Of course, I pause a grand lot.

Same here, and I normally play 5-8 hours SP per week, so games are finished within 2 - 3 weeks.

 

[unmerged(25696)]

A typical evening of gameplay for me represents something like 10-20 years of gametime, less if embroiled in several hard wars, more if simply at peace without much colonization/micromanagement to do.

 

[Knug Anders]

Horvendile, it turns out that you are not a slow player at all. I never play at a speed "above normal" as I like to follow the development of other regions than my own. When at war I turn the speed down to "normal". This makes my campaigns go on for a very long time, but I am in no hurry.

 

[unmerged(29218)]

As Knug Anders pointed out, I have probably misjudged the speed of others. The three days figure I invented after reading the recent Aztecs-thread where there was a passage interpreted by me as if the writer had played most of the campaign in a weekend.

Ten years is a common dose for me.

But still... it feels like the best I can hope for in the next year or so is to finish my France and Denmark games, then play Venice and Sweden, and possibly China. How people can amass 50 games or so, and play lots and lots of different countries (and let me tell you, there are quite a few countries I would like to try), I still don't understand.
Of course, as ale hinted at, they might not play every GC to the end.

 

[der Alte]

Same with me. I normally play about 10-50 years per evening, play at fast or very fast and pause quite often for doing the micromanagement (trade, diplomacy). So a game normally last for about 2-3 weeks.

I used to play till the end of the scenario, but recently I more often finish earlier. There is no more fun in the game when u get too dominant and u can do whatever u want, even successfully fight the rest of the world and annex whatever land u want. That is the point, when I usually start a new game. I just recently discovered, that it makes sense to restric yourself or have a specific mission.

 

[Casluerj]

Some of us can play at work. Some of us had to buy the mac version of EUII HOI and Vicky just so he can play on the Macs at work. Some of us are glad that they have a door to their office that they can close when they want others to think that they are REAL busy, or thinking really hard.

what a coincidence

 

[Stingray]

I also play extremely fast, pausing every so often, give a bunch of orders, then let it run. It usually takes me a month to play 200 years or so, the 3 day campaign must be playing 24hrs a day!

Accually it's more like 12-14h/day. Works great during the long summer vacation, or when you're ill.

(Not that those campaigns ever turn out as good as the ones you put more time into, but as of now, I usually convert my games to Vicky once they're done.)

Generally, I play at very fast or extremely fast during peace, and pause the game while making investments. When at war I play at fast, and pause the game if things are running too fast for me (although by the time they are, I'm usually powerful/rich enough not to be affected that much by the loss of efficiency).

 

[unmerged(19936)]

I play on above normal all the time, even in wars. I just pause a LOT. It can take me months to finish a game too, especially if I get sidetracked by something else.

How fast to multiplayer games go? I've never played.

 

[unmerged(29218)]

Same with me. I normally play about 10-50 years per evening

Ah, but the higher figure is already a factor 5!
(Er... 5! != 5x4x3x2... no, wait, that looks wrong too... :wacko: )

Anyway, yesterday I tried to turn up the speed one notch to Very Fast, and it was actually a pleasant experience. It never got boring, and I covered a few more years. Also, I didn't feel the need to save the game as often, which in itself saved time.
Admittedly, my plan at the current stage of the campaign is mainly to idle away the years, so it might not work quite as well when I have more to do. Still, good to know that it can be viable. Though it will probably be some time before I advance to Extremely Fast.

 

[unmerged(25609)]

I used to struggle to fit in 10 years in an evening. Now I play at very fast. If you're going to pause frequently, it just doesn't matter. But try playing the Iroquois or the Knights, when you don't intend to fight any wars until your tech has come along a bit - that's when you'll switch to a faster speed!

 

[Underhand]

Extremely fast, ridiculously frequent pausing. It's a turn-based game, it really is *continues to mutter incomprehensibly*

 

[unmerged(6147)]

I used to struggle to fit in 10 years in an evening. Now I play at very fast. If you're going to pause frequently, it just doesn't matter. But try playing the Iroquois or the Knights, when you don't intend to fight any wars until your tech has come along a bit - that's when you'll switch to a faster speed!

Exactly. And even worse if you choose a nation without contact with any other nations. E.g. Kongo or Inca (when you have eliminated Chimu in 1420).

I typically start a new campaign a friday evening around 19.00. I stop playing about 01.00 and then I usuaally have played around 60 years. Then when the 16th century is approaching and I start trading and colonising the speed may go down a little. But the real decline sets in 5-10 years before my BB war phase, usually in the second half of the 18th century, when I prepare for it. And the BB wars in themselves is of course the most timeconsuming game period. A three year BB war round 1 can take 12 hours to play - it depends largely of how many men you have (if you have a huge amount of men the speed goes up which may be slightly surprising for one not having experienced a BB war). I believe the first months of BB war round 1 is the most intense playing experience you can have in SP. It's intoxicating

 

[unmerged(25696)]

I believe the first months of BB war round 1 is the most intense playing experience you can have in SP. It's intoxicating

Yeah.
1st day : pause, give the orders, unpause.
2nd day : pause, read the 65 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
3rd day : pause, read the 76 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
4th day : pause, read the 87 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
5th day : pause, read the 58 pop-up windows (a lucky day!), give the orders, unpause.
6th day : pause, read the 127 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
7th day : pause, read the 71 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
8th day : pause, read the 68 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
9th day : pause, read the 82 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
10th day : pause, read the 66 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
11th day : pause, read the 75 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
:rofl:

 

[Owen]

Yeah.
1st day : pause, give the orders, unpause.
2nd day : pause, read the 65 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
3rd day : pause, read the 76 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
4th day : pause, read the 87 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
5th day : pause, read the 58 pop-up windows (a lucky day!), give the orders, unpause.
6th day : pause, read the 127 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
7th day : pause, read the 71 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
8th day : pause, read the 68 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
9th day : pause, read the 82 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
10th day : pause, read the 66 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
11th day : pause, read the 75 pop-up windows, give the orders, unpause.
:rofl:

That many popups is just bad planning, I'm afraid, either in arranging your borders or in your message settings.